Miles Nielsen & The Rusted Hearts return to the Acorn. Miles Nielsen has spent nearly a decade enthralling audiences with music that draws force from the prime years of Western-influenced rock music and classic ‘60s soul.
This concert serves as our next recording partnership activity with 88.1 WVPE Public Radio which will air in a future "The Sauce Live from The Acorn" broadcast on WVPE! We'll be capturing LIVE footage at the show - come get in on the action!
About the Artist
Led by free-wheeling frontman Miles Nielsen, The Rusted Hearts have been wowing audiences for years with the diversity of their sound, the tightness of their 4-part harmonies, and the quality of their songcraft. Equally comfortable in a compact 3-minute pop song and an epic 10-minute jam, the band has toured incessantly since their inception in 2011, amassing an army of hardcore followers that have dubbed themselves the Rusted Herd.
Rockford, IL-based Miles Nielsen has spent nearly a decade enthralling audiences with music that draws force from the prime years of Western-influenced rock music and classic ‘60s soul. Claiming influences as diverse as Otis Redding’s classic soul and Jellyfish’s cult power pop recordings.
RESERVED SEATING DONATION option includes a $25 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $25 Donation per ticket holder in your group.
Turn your show experience into a memorable stay! The Loft at The Acorn offers a spacious, industrial-chic apartment above The Acorn theater. Click here for photos and rental information.
The Acorn is hosting a Community Book Drive in celebration of the life and legacy of Dolly Parton! Bring a book to The Acorn throughout the month of April and receive a Dolly Parton themed gift. Bring a book to The Acorn the night of The Music of Dolly Parton on April 27 for $3 off our specialty drink for the night - the Wine to 5! Books should be new and chosen for children of any age - infants through teens! Books will be distributed to River Valley Schools.
Box Office opens at 4:00pm ET Starts 8:00pm, doors open 7:00pm
An Experience to Outlast Any Performance
No two Acorn performances are exactly the same. Thoughtful curation brings a diverse mix of top talent to The Acorn, exposing audiences to both renowned and soon-to-be-discovered stars.
About The Acorn Center for the Performing Arts
The Acorn brings great known performers and amazing new ones to southwest Michigan. Located in the historic featherbone factory, The Acorn’s friendly staff and volunteers, and an acoustically rich sound system combine for memorable experiences. We’re located in Three Oaks, Michigan … just over an hour from downtown Chicago and 30 minutes from South Bend, IN.
The Acorn, a nonprofit organization, annually hosts a singer songwriter competition and a Spectacular Tournament of Playwrights. Our Open Mic nights showcase a variety of strong talent and our educational workshops include songwriting and master classes in performance.
The Acorn’s Mission
To offer a broad range of high-quality arts and education programming that nurtures cultural experience, participation and community engagement among residents and visitors of all ages and enhances the economic vitality of the region.
Ike Reilly Assassination return to the Acorn. Ike Reilly is known for rebellious punk/folk/country/blues-influenced rock ’n’ roll records that are poetic and cinematic.
About the Artist
“I’m the king of Music Row,” says Ike Reilly. Standing on the stoop of his recording studio with his arms wide open, the songwriter claims the whole street as his musical kingdom. For the former gravedigger and doorman, Music Row is just one house. It’s the 100-year-old bungalow wedged between a nail salon and an insurance agency in Libertyville, Illinois. This is where Reilly now makes his records.
Libertyville is about 38 miles north of Chicago, and it’s the hometown of Marlon Brando, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, Adam Jones of Tool, Maureen Herman of Babes in Toyland, and many other successful artists and musicians. These folks have all fled town. Reilly never left. He has lived there his entire life, and he has churned out song after song, album after album, all the while maintaining a seemingly together family life and touring America both as a lone troubadour and while leading his greasy band, The Ike Reilly Assassination. While Libertyville certainly appears idyllic, the stories that Reilly mines from it, and from people and places all over the world, clearly are not. Tom Morello, also a Libertyville native, says, “These homogeneous Midwestern towns like Libertyville can forge rebels, and Ike Reilly is just that. He’s somebody who sees through the veil of bullsh*t, and you can hear it in all his songs.”
Since his explosive major label debut, Salesmen and Racists, Reilly has been creating rebellious punk/folk/country/blues-influenced rock ’n’ roll records that are poetic and cinematic. Critical praise for his work has been plentiful, and he has garnered a wildly loyal fan base — from faithful fans in the dirty bars and rock clubs in the middle of nowhere to legendary authors. Reilly’s songs have a unique universality that affects people. Author Stephen King wrote that Reilly’s travel band saga, “Boltcutter,” was “the best new song to come out of the Trump era.” The New York Times called Reilly’s longtime band, The Assassination, one of the best live bands in America, and once again they show their dexterity and growth on Reilly’s new offering, Because the Angels.
This compelling batch of new Reilly songs/tales required both a lighter touch and a ferocity that mirror the depth of Reilly’s writing and the varied nature of his songs. On “Ashes to Ashes,” the band slams away and yet still holds down the groove to this Ray-Charles-on-speed track. As the band rocks, rolls, and rumbles, Reilly sings of the cursed and the blessed, the loved and the hurt, and he assures us that nobody escapes death. Sure, it’s dark, but ya might die trying not to move to this track.
Of his work, Reilly dismisses it and says, “My songs are either lies or apologies.” Because the Angels may reveal more truth than maybe he would like. “Trick of the Light,” the first single released off of the new album, is a dark-pop-celebration of family dysfunction. Here, we find Reilly ironically sharing lead vocal duties with three of his own children. There is a festive innocence and a wise resignation in the vocal delivery as Reilly and his boys trade lines and ask questions about faith, hope, family, money, and fate.
Reilly said, “My boys singing on this album with us came about for really no other reason than we were f*cking locked up together during this pandemic. I had to take to Internet hustling-busking-begging to make ends meet, and the boys joined me on The Ike Reilly Family Quarantine Hour. We got comfortable singing together, and when we cut some of these songs, it felt natural for them to sing with the band on many of them. Their vocals really helped shape this record.” Like all related singers, there is a distinctive quality in the voices of Shane, Kevin, and Mickey Reilly – similarly raspy to their father yet not as torn up. This genetic connection is even more compelling given the seeking nature of “Trick of the Light.”
Like on all of Reilly’s records, the imagery, the locations, and the characters are authentic, unique, and unforgettable. Because the Angels is home to racist girlfriends, killer cops, drunken candidates, swindled mothers, slandered brothers, and struggling lovers, all right here in the modern era. The locations are mostly American – the police shooting and subsequent riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin inspired “Someday Tonight.” In “The Muhammad Ali Museum,” the lonesome main character, after searching unsuccessfully for weed in downtown Louisville, decides to go into the Ali Museum and is brought to new depths of anguish as he compares his own mundane life to the life of The Champ.
Blown-out speakers, marijuana shoes, tire fires, and abandoned driers all litter the suicide highways in the final track of Because the Angels, the epic “Racquel Blue.” This broken-beat, dubstep-tinged folk song could be on the soundtrack to some lost spaghetti western, but the song itself is too powerful and majestic to take a back seat to any film. Once again, the band proves their agility in handling the space in this musical mystery. Guitarist Phil Karnats paints the sonic landscapes with his signature swells and runs and never gets in the way of the narrative. Is Racquel Blue a woman? Is Racquel Blue a drug? Maybe Racquel Blue is a mythical destination? Who knows. But within the mystery, there is a grandiosity and familiarity. An unlikely place for “hooks,” “Racquel Blue” has one of Reilly’s most timeless and memorable choruses, and a haunting group vocal “B” section, sung by Reilly’s own children, that is certain to generate communal singing wherever “Racquel Blue” is performed or played.
Says Reilly, “‘Racquel Blue’ is our f*cking thing – nobody else could do it. Actually, all of this music is our thing. This thing of ours! Cosa Nostra! Seriously, nobody plays like Phil. Nobody plays like Phil, Dave, Pete, and Adam. Ya take these stories and that band, and then throw my boys singing on top of it. F*ck, we know we made a great record. Don’t need anybody to tell us that. Just listen to it.”
The King of Music Row has spoken.
RESERVED SEATING DONATION option includes a $25 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $25 Donation per ticket holder in your group.
Turn your show experience into a memorable stay! The Loft at The Acorn offers a spacious, industrial-chic apartment above The Acorn theater. Click here for photos and rental information.
Box Office opens at 4:00pm ET Starts 8:00pm, doors open 7:00pm
Artistry, Up Close
The intimate, acoustically-rich Acorn environment encourages interaction between the artists and audience.
About The Acorn Center for the Performing Arts
The Acorn brings great known performers and amazing new ones to southwest Michigan. Located in the historic featherbone factory, The Acorn’s friendly staff and volunteers, and an acoustically rich sound system combine for memorable experiences. We’re located in Three Oaks, Michigan … just over an hour from downtown Chicago and 30 minutes from South Bend, IN.
The Acorn, a nonprofit organization, annually hosts a singer songwriter competition and a Spectacular Tournament of Playwrights. Our Open Mic nights showcase a variety of strong talent and our educational workshops include songwriting and master classes in performance.
The Acorn’s Mission
To offer a broad range of high-quality arts and education programming that nurtures cultural experience, participation and community engagement among residents and visitors of all ages and enhances the economic vitality of the region.
The Electric Cars evoke the magic of The Cars' influential music, bringing the band's artistry in its fullest form to the stage.
About the Artist
The Electric Cars stand as more than a tribute band - they are agents of an era, bringing the timeless 1980's hits of The Cars to a new generation. With a set that includes classics like "Just What I Needed," "My Best Friend's Girl," and the hit ballad "Drive," they faithfully recreate the magic of The Cars' chart-toppers, taking audiences on a nostalgic journey through the band's greatest hits and deep cuts. New Wave pioneers, The Cars, were the soundtrack of a generation. "The Cars" launched as one of the most successful debuts of all time and stayed on the Billboard charts for 139 weeks, crowning the group Rolling Stone's Best New Artist in 1978. The auspicious guitar and synth sounds in "Moving in Stereo" provided the score to an unforgettable scene in the 1982 classic Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and "You Might Think" delivered MTV's first ever Best Video of the Year in 1984.
The Electric Cars evoke the magic of The Cars' influential music, bringing the band's artistry in its fullest form to the stage. They ensure that The Cars' legacy as New Wave trailblazers lives on in celebration of an unforgettable era in music history.
“The Cars had it all: the looks, the hooks, beat-romance lyrics, killer choruses, guitar solos that pissed off your parents..." - Brandon Flowers | The Killers
RESERVED SEATING DONATION option includes a $25 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $25 Donation per ticket holder in your group.
Turn your show experience into a memorable stay! The Loft at The Acorn offers a spacious, industrial-chic apartment above The Acorn theater. Click here for photos and rental information.
Box Office opens at 4:00pm ET Starts 8:00pm, doors open 7:00pm
An Experience to Outlast Any Performance
No two Acorn performances are exactly the same. Thoughtful curation brings a diverse mix of top talent to The Acorn, exposing audiences to both renowned and soon-to-be-discovered stars.
About The Acorn Center for the Performing Arts
The Acorn brings great known performers and amazing new ones to southwest Michigan. Located in the historic featherbone factory, The Acorn’s friendly staff and volunteers, and an acoustically rich sound system combine for memorable experiences. We’re located in Three Oaks, Michigan … just over an hour from downtown Chicago and 30 minutes from South Bend, IN.
The Acorn, a nonprofit organization, annually hosts a singer songwriter competition and a Spectacular Tournament of Playwrights. Our Open Mic nights showcase a variety of strong talent and our educational workshops include songwriting and master classes in performance.
The Acorn’s Mission
To offer a broad range of high-quality arts and education programming that nurtures cultural experience, participation and community engagement among residents and visitors of all ages and enhances the economic vitality of the region.
Where else in Harbor Country can you go for an evening filled with amazing talent? Come experience Harbor Country’s most exciting array of acts, packed into one night on the fabulous Acorn stage with a state of the art, professional sound system.
No Admission Fee, Donations Encouraged
This activity is supported in part by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and sponsored by The Frederick S. Upton Foundation.
About the Artist:
Jack Whittle is a blues and roots singer, guitarist, and songwriter with a staggering depth of talent. The Chicagoland-based performer has been busy playing all over the Midwest and beyond, including a tour of the South in support of Chicago Blues mainstay Liz Mandeville. On a local level, Jack is a pillar of the thriving Northwest Indiana music scene and a highlight of jam nights and bar stages all over the area. Underneath it all is a foundation of knowledge based upon Jack’s consummate study and love of American roots music old and new from dirty, relentless blues shuffles to infectious country dance tunes and the underlying grooves and shared vocabulary that drive them. This is exemplified in the playful versatility of his songwriting, which was put on full display when Jack released his highly-anticipated, self-titled debut album in June 2022 to tremendous acclaim including a spot on Tom Lounges’ Top 10 Regional Albums of 2022. Featuring 8 original songs, many of which were co-written alongside frequent collaborator James Gedda, as well as Whittle’s rendition of the timeless Gospel song “Glory Glory.”
RESERVED SEATING DONATION option includes a $25 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $25 Donation per ticket holder in your group.
Turn your show experience into a memorable stay! The Loft at The Acorn offers a spacious, industrial-chic apartment above The Acorn theater. Click here for photos and rental information.
Box Office opens at 4pm ET Starts 7:00pm, doors open 6:00pm
An Experience to Outlast Any Performance
No two Acorn performances are exactly the same. Thoughtful curation brings a diverse mix of top talent to The Acorn, exposing audiences to both renowned and soon-to-be-discovered stars.
About The Acorn Center for the Performing Arts
The Acorn brings great known performers and amazing new ones to southwest Michigan. Located in the historic featherbone factory, The Acorn’s friendly staff and volunteers, and an acoustically rich sound system combine for memorable experiences. We’re located in Three Oaks, Michigan … just over an hour from downtown Chicago and 30 minutes from South Bend, IN.
The Acorn, a nonprofit organization, annually hosts a singer songwriter competition and a Spectacular Tournament of Playwrights. Our Open Mic nights showcase a variety of strong talent and our educational workshops include songwriting and master classes in performance.
The Acorn’s Mission
To offer a broad range of high-quality arts and education programming that nurtures cultural experience, participation and community engagement among residents and visitors of all ages and enhances the economic vitality of the region.
A Valentine's Open Mic Night featuring Kelly Hoppenjans
Friday, Feb. 09 | 7:00pm ET (6:00pm CT)
Open Mic
Where else in Harbor Country can you go for an evening filled with amazing talent? Come experience Harbor Country’s most exciting array of acts, packed into one night on the fabulous Acorn stage with a state of the art, professional sound system.
No Admission Fee, Donations Encouraged
This activity is supported in part by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and sponsored by The Frederick S. Upton Foundation.
About the Artist:
Kelly Hoppenjans is an indie-rock singer-songwriter from Nashville, now based in Ann Arbor. She creates empowering, feminist, grungy rock with catchy pop melodies and introspective folksy lyrics. She has released three EPs and one full-length album. Kelly has had her music featured on NPR, American Songwriter, The Alternative, Lightning 100, KUTX, and many other press outlets and radio stations. She has also been a finalist in numerous songwriting competitions, including The Acorn’s 2023 Singer-Songwriter Competition, NewSong, Kerrville New Folk, and John Lennon Songwriting Competition, and she was a winner of the Eddie's Attic songwriting competition.
RESERVED SEATING DONATION option includes a $25 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $25 Donation per ticket holder in your group.
Turn your show experience into a memorable stay! The Loft at The Acorn offers a spacious, industrial-chic apartment above The Acorn theater. Click here for photos and rental information.
Box Office opens at 4pm ET Starts 7:00pm, doors open 6:00pm
Artistry, Up Close
The intimate, acoustically-rich Acorn environment encourages interaction between the artists and audience.
About The Acorn Center for the Performing Arts
The Acorn brings great known performers and amazing new ones to southwest Michigan. Located in the historic featherbone factory, The Acorn’s friendly staff and volunteers, and an acoustically rich sound system combine for memorable experiences. We’re located in Three Oaks, Michigan … just over an hour from downtown Chicago and 30 minutes from South Bend, IN.
The Acorn, a nonprofit organization, annually hosts a singer songwriter competition and a Spectacular Tournament of Playwrights. Our Open Mic nights showcase a variety of strong talent and our educational workshops include songwriting and master classes in performance.
The Acorn’s Mission
To offer a broad range of high-quality arts and education programming that nurtures cultural experience, participation and community engagement among residents and visitors of all ages and enhances the economic vitality of the region.
Turn your show experience into a memorable stay! The Loft at The Acorn offers a spacious, industrial-chic apartment above The Acorn theater. Click here for photos and rental information.
Box Office opens at 4pm ET Starts 7:00pm, doors open 6:00pm
Artistry, Up Close
The intimate, acoustically-rich Acorn environment encourages interaction between the artists and audience.
About The Acorn Center for the Performing Arts
The Acorn brings great known performers and amazing new ones to southwest Michigan. Located in the historic featherbone factory, The Acorn’s friendly staff and volunteers, and an acoustically rich sound system combine for memorable experiences. We’re located in Three Oaks, Michigan … just over an hour from downtown Chicago and 30 minutes from South Bend, IN.
The Acorn, a nonprofit organization, annually hosts a singer songwriter competition and a Spectacular Tournament of Playwrights. Our Open Mic nights showcase a variety of strong talent and our educational workshops include songwriting and master classes in performance.
The Acorn’s Mission
To offer a broad range of high-quality arts and education programming that nurtures cultural experience, participation and community engagement among residents and visitors of all ages and enhances the economic vitality of the region.
Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket at The Acorn w/ Chris Pureka
Saturday, Mar. 09 | 8:00pm ET (7:00pm CT)
FolkIndie/AltRock/Pop
California-based singer/songwriter and guitarist Glen Phillips performs at The Acorn. As lead singer and main songwriter of Toad the Wet Sprocket, Phillips helped create the band’s elegant folk/pop sound with honest, introspective lyrics that forged a close bond with their fans.
About the Artist
When Toad went on hiatus, Phillips launched a solo career with Abulum, and stayed busy collaborating with other artists on various projects including Mutual Admiration Society, and Remote Tree Children.
The 11 tracks on Phillips new solo album There is So Much Here move between quiet love songs and outright rockers that consider the multi-faceted meanings hidden in our everyday lives.
“Until recently, I’ve seldom allowed myself to stay in one placefor very long,” Phillips says. “I was lucky during the COVID lockdown to move in with my girlfriend, now fiancée, and to stay home for the longest stretch I’ve had since the birth of mydaughter, 20 years ago. I began noticing the little things. After alife of travel and seeking out peak experiences, I began to appreciate the subtle beauty of sitting still.”
Phillips’ previous solo record, Swallowed by The New, was about grief, a post-divorce outing while There is So Much Here finds Phillips writing love songs again focusing on gratitude, beauty and staying present.
“With this batch of songs, I was suddenly hopeful again,knowing you can never know what the outcome of any action, or inaction, is going to be. There’s no pure happy ending – the world is a mess, the future is uncertain – but I find found truth in the poet Mary Oliver’s words: ‘Attention is the beginning of devotion.’ I was suddenly in a state of being that wasn’t about my loss. I woke up and things felt doable again.” Ultimately, as Phillips reflects on the album, he shares: “This is an album about showing up for what is and letting it be enough.”
RESERVED SEATING DONATION option includes a $25 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $25 Donation per ticket holder in your group.
Turn your show experience into a memorable stay! The Loft at The Acorn offers a spacious, industrial-chic apartment above The Acorn theater. Click here for photos and rental information.
Box Office opens at 4:00pm ET Starts 8:00pm, doors open 7:00pm
An Experience to Outlast Any Performance
No two Acorn performances are exactly the same. Thoughtful curation brings a diverse mix of top talent to The Acorn, exposing audiences to both renowned and soon-to-be-discovered stars.
About The Acorn Center for the Performing Arts
The Acorn brings great known performers and amazing new ones to southwest Michigan. Located in the historic featherbone factory, The Acorn’s friendly staff and volunteers, and an acoustically rich sound system combine for memorable experiences. We’re located in Three Oaks, Michigan … just over an hour from downtown Chicago and 30 minutes from South Bend, IN.
The Acorn, a nonprofit organization, annually hosts a singer songwriter competition and a Spectacular Tournament of Playwrights. Our Open Mic nights showcase a variety of strong talent and our educational workshops include songwriting and master classes in performance.
The Acorn’s Mission
To offer a broad range of high-quality arts and education programming that nurtures cultural experience, participation and community engagement among residents and visitors of all ages and enhances the economic vitality of the region.
The School of American Music presents its intermediate to advanced students in their Spring Recital.
Admission to the recital is free for all who would like to attend.
About School of American Music
The School of American Music was founded by D. Garth Taylor to serve as a music resource in Michiana with a mission to provide education, performance, and audience opportunities in music and the related arts in the Southwest Michigan and Northwest Indiana areas.
The School of American Music offers private, one-on-one lessons at its studios on the second floor of the Three Oaks Library and at the A&E Center – 14 Maple Street in Three Oaks. The lessons are taught by highly qualified instructors who are also performing musicians. SAM’s teaching philosophy places heavy emphasis on performance with twice yearly recitals and other performance opportunities. Lessons are available for children and adults at beginning, intermediate and advanced levels of proficiency, and musical styles taught include contemporary, classical, jazz, blues, gospel, bluegrass, and rock-n-roll.
School of American Music offers a generous Scholarship Program so that no student is left without support. A partnership has also been established with Neighbor by Neighbor and LaPorte Service League for 100% scholarships for clients who qualify.
Turn your show experience into a memorable stay! The Loft at The Acorn offers a spacious, industrial-chic apartment above The Acorn theater. Click here for photos and rental information.
No two Acorn performances are exactly the same. Thoughtful curation brings a diverse mix of top talent to The Acorn, exposing audiences to both renowned and soon-to-be-discovered stars.
About The Acorn Center for the Performing Arts
The Acorn brings great known performers and amazing new ones to southwest Michigan. Located in the historic featherbone factory, The Acorn’s friendly staff and volunteers, and an acoustically rich sound system combine for memorable experiences. We’re located in Three Oaks, Michigan … just over an hour from downtown Chicago and 30 minutes from South Bend, IN.
The Acorn, a nonprofit organization, annually hosts a singer songwriter competition and a Spectacular Tournament of Playwrights. Our Open Mic nights showcase a variety of strong talent and our educational workshops include songwriting and master classes in performance.
The Acorn’s Mission
To offer a broad range of high-quality arts and education programming that nurtures cultural experience, participation and community engagement among residents and visitors of all ages and enhances the economic vitality of the region.
The Acorn’s Dance Showcase featuring CC Dance + Miss Natalie's Rhythm and Dance
Sunday, Jan. 21 | 3:00pm ET (2:00pm CT)
Dance
Our January 21st Dance Showcase event is cancelled out of concern for road conditions in the area. Stay safe and warm! Join us January 28th for our next Dance Showcase event.
The Acorn proudly presents a series of Dance Showcase events in January and February, featuring eight local dance studios.
Connie Alti was only 18 when her beloved dance teacher, Violette Bryant Schadler, succumbed to breast cancer just weeks before her studio’s annual dance recital. Students and parents asked Connie to step into Violette’s slippers. Connie did so admirably, and what came to be known as the Connie Cassidy School of Dance took shape and grew. Over more than six decades Connie offered many thousands of students “A lifetime of dance,” and Connie’s daughter, Cammie Cassidy Hernandez continues to celebrate that legacy. Now operating under the name CC Dance, we embrace Connie’s vision of creativity, character, and community, by offering a quality dance education in a warm, inviting environment where all are welcome and valued. We love to dance, and we share that love freely, just as Connie did.
Miss Natalie’s Rhythm and Dance opened its doors in September 2021 in the historic Box Factory for the Arts in St. Joseph. Owner, instructor and choreographer, Natalie Delgado uses her 42 years of dance to educate and empower dancers to be the best version of themselves. Her teaching philosophy is to meet students where they are, understand their skills and goals and make the two meet. She creates fun and entertaining pieces for her students that are universally enjoyed by their parents and grandparents. Confidence and joy are the goals for every dancer at Miss Natalie’s Rhythm and Dance.
RESERVED SEATING DONATION option includes a $25 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $25 Donation per ticket holder in your group.
Turn your show experience into a memorable stay! The Loft at The Acorn offers a spacious, industrial-chic apartment above The Acorn theater. Click here for photos and rental information.
Box Office opens at 1pm ET Starts 3:00pm, doors open 2:00pm
Artistry, Up Close
The intimate, acoustically-rich Acorn environment encourages interaction between the artists and audience.
About The Acorn Center for the Performing Arts
The Acorn brings great known performers and amazing new ones to southwest Michigan. Located in the historic featherbone factory, The Acorn’s friendly staff and volunteers, and an acoustically rich sound system combine for memorable experiences. We’re located in Three Oaks, Michigan … just over an hour from downtown Chicago and 30 minutes from South Bend, IN.
The Acorn, a nonprofit organization, annually hosts a singer songwriter competition and a Spectacular Tournament of Playwrights. Our Open Mic nights showcase a variety of strong talent and our educational workshops include songwriting and master classes in performance.
The Acorn’s Mission
To offer a broad range of high-quality arts and education programming that nurtures cultural experience, participation and community engagement among residents and visitors of all ages and enhances the economic vitality of the region.
Circle Mirror Transformation – A Play by Annie Baker
Saturday, Jan. 20 | 2:00pm ET (1:00pm CT)
Stage Play
The Acorn and Theatre Thirty3 Present Circle Mirror Transformation a play by Annie Baker, centered on drama classes at a community center in Vermont. The play opened Off-Broadway in 2009 and received the Obie Award for Best New American Play.
In the small town of Shirley, Vermont, five strangers gather in a dance studio to embark on a unique journey together in a creative drama class for adults. Taught by Marty, their free-spirited and supportive leader, the group -- Schultz, a recently divorced, emotionally vulnerable carpenter, Teresa, an earnest and vibrant former actress, James, Marty’s quiet and genial husband, and Lauren, a reserved and self-conscious high schooler -- move through a series of acting exercises, ranging from the heartbreaking to the ridiculous. In this one small room, through these few seemingly trivial games, quiet wars are waged, emotional wounds are nursed, and healing is finally, slowly, able to begin. In Annie Baker’s quiet masterpiece, Circle Mirror Transformation, the audience takes a transcendent journey through the mundane into the profound.
The Cast: Circle Mirror Transformation is presented by Peter Carey, Alyssia Rogers, Jeannine Thompson, Justin Gnagi and Ashley Croft.
From Director Dennis North:
Theatre is a journey of self-discovery and an affirmation of self-worth. An understanding of theatre helps us understand what it means to be human. Helps us see the light in others. Theatre asks for and offers intimacy and a brave sense of participation. It helps us find our tribe.
Annie’s play puts us in the middle of that world. Over a 6 week acting class, 5 souls move through a series of acting exercises ranging from heartbreaking to ridiculous. They search, connect, explore, examine, and push themselves to step out of the comfort zone and enter the dangerous world of “truth.” Circle Mirror Transformation takes these characters - and the audience - on a transcendent journey through the simple, into the profound.
A Note About Seating for Circle Mirror Transformation:
All seats for Circle Mirror Transformation are assigned in Preferred Seating, either Stadium section or Floor section. Seating is limited at each performance.
Please select the section and our staff will seat your party together for the show.
To be sure you're seated before the show begins, please arrive at the theater at least fifteen minutes prior to showtime.
Turn your show experience into a memorable stay! The Loft at The Acorn offers a spacious, industrial-chic apartment above The Acorn theater. Click here for photos and rental information.
Box Office opens at 12pm ET Starts 2:00pm, doors open 1:00pm
Artistry, Up Close
The intimate, acoustically-rich Acorn environment encourages interaction between the artists and audience.
About The Acorn Center for the Performing Arts
The Acorn brings great known performers and amazing new ones to southwest Michigan. Located in the historic featherbone factory, The Acorn’s friendly staff and volunteers, and an acoustically rich sound system combine for memorable experiences. We’re located in Three Oaks, Michigan … just over an hour from downtown Chicago and 30 minutes from South Bend, IN.
The Acorn, a nonprofit organization, annually hosts a singer songwriter competition and a Spectacular Tournament of Playwrights. Our Open Mic nights showcase a variety of strong talent and our educational workshops include songwriting and master classes in performance.
The Acorn’s Mission
To offer a broad range of high-quality arts and education programming that nurtures cultural experience, participation and community engagement among residents and visitors of all ages and enhances the economic vitality of the region.
